Bin and support clamp assembly

ABSTRACT

A bin and support clamp assembly which is useful in displaying merchandise at the front edge of a support shelf or the like. The bin portion includes a front wall and a rear wall and a bottom, all preferably made from cardboard material. The clamp portion includes a U-shaped leg which extends along the three portions of the bin to securely hold the bin. The clamp also includes a fastening portion for attaching the entire assembly to a support shelf or the like, and the fastening portion and the U-shaped leg are relatively oriented so that the bin is tilted or oblique to the horizontal position of the shelf, for optimum support and display of the merchandise.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Roy C. Ammann Racine, Wis. [21] Appl. No. 854,985 [22] Filed Sept. 3, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 2, 1971 [73] Assignee Western Publishing Company, Inc.

Racine, Wis.

[54] BIN AND SUPPORT CLAMP ASSEMBLY 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 211/88, 248/210 [5 1 Int. Cl A47f 5/08 [50] Field ofSearch 211/88, 87; 108/42; 182/128; 248/210, 236, 214

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,611 12/1899 Randall 248/210 1,223,637 4/1917 Swain 21 1/88X Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Arthur J. l-lansmann ABSTRACT: A bin and support clamp assembly which is useful in displaying merchandise at the front edge of a support shelf or the like. The bin portion includes a front wall and a rear wall and a bottom, all preferably made from cardboard material. The clamp portion includes a U-shaped leg which extends along the three portions of the bin to securely hold the bin. The clamp also includes a fastening portion for attaching the entire assembly to a support shelf or the like, and the fastening portion and the U-shaped leg are relatively oriented so that the bin is tilted or oblique to the [horizontal position of the shelf, for optimum support and display of the merchandise.

PATENTVIEDH'AR -2 I97:

INVENTOR: R07 6., AMMA/VN O ZZ'WM T TORNE) BIN AND SUPPORT CLAMP ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a bin and support clamp assembly. More particularly,"itrelates to that type of assembly which is useful in supporting'and displaying merchandise on a store shelf or the like. The assembly is readily attached to and removed from asupporting shelf or the like, and it is-arranged to make a functional and an attractive presentation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art is already aware of numerous arrangements of I assemblies of bins and clamps for releasably attaching the assembly to support members, such asledges or shelves. However, the a'ssemblies of the prior artare not arranged for the particular utility of the assembly of this invention and they are notsufficiently functional and attractive, compared to the assembly of this invention. Still further, the prior'art assemblies of the type mentionedare not capableof being manufactured from lightweight and inexpensive materials, but yet being stur-' dy for supporting substantial weight and doing so in positions which give optimum'support anddi splay characteristics to the goods in the bin.

Accordingly, it is the objectof this inventionto provide an assembly of abin and support clamp which is capable ofbeing readily and easily attached to a supporting shelf or the like, is a lightweight butyet capable of supporting goods of a substantial weight, is disposedin an optimum position for securely holding the goods, and which is, arranged with a minimum of interference with the use of the supportingshelf and a lack of interference with the goods held in'the bin. These several objects are also accomplished by means of an easily manufactured and inexpensive assembly of a bin and supporting clamp.

More specifically, it is anobject of this invention to provide a bin and supporting clamp assembly which is particularly useful in supporting magazines or paperback or like types of reading material, and-todo so at an angle which renders the paper material readily readable from the front of the assembly and which renders the material self-supporting initsextent above the top. level of the assembly itself. In'accomplishing this object, the paper type of reading material is disposed in an inclined position so that a person can readily read it, and so that material is leaning back so thatit is in a self-supporting position, as mentioned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOFTHE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The bin and supportclamp assembly is designated 10, andit is shown on a supportingshelfll. The shelf l1 may be a store shelf which has other merchandise distributedalong theshelf 11 in the usual arrangement, and the assembly is therefore arranged to extend forwardly of the shelf 11 and to-virtually not interfere with theuse of the shelf llLNever-theless, theassembly 10 can be attached to and'removed'from the shelf 11, and it can be positioned alongthe shelf 11, as desired. Further, it will be understood that the assembly 10 can support merchandise or other goods, and such merchandise may. be reading material made of sheets of paper, such as magazines, newspapers, paperback-type-books, children s reading and ac tivity books, or the like. With respect to this-type of paper material, there is concern in having the goods standupsothat it canbe properly seen and displayed; The assembly. 10 is arranged to support the sheet material in an upright position,

and this is done by having the assembly 10 in an orientation which will permit the sheet material to be slightly tilted rearwardly, as indicated in'FIG. 2'as indicated by reference numeral 12. Of course it will be understoodthat the shown magazines or books 12 extend substantially above the assembly l0, and they may actually-extend at least again as high as the assembly ID as it is seen in FIG. 2, for instance. Nevertheless, the books 12 will stand in a planar but slightly tilted position.

The bin 10 is madeofcardboard material whichis suffciently stiff and sturdy to at least support itself in the plane in which it extends. The bin 10 is shownin its final or folded form, and it includes one piece of card material or stock which iscut and foldedinform shown. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the bin-10 includes a front wall 13, a rear wall 14, and a bottom 16. FIG. 2 particularly shows the extentof the one piece of card material in that a first portion I7extends from its free end 18 -upwardly and into a top edge portion 19 andthen downwardly in theportion 21 which is integral with-and extends to the bottom 16. The one piece continues through the portion 22in the front wall 13, andinto the top edge 23 of the front wall; and into the portion 24-of the frontwall. The one piece then terminates in an end 26. In a similar form of folding, the one.

piece of card material 'also extends upwardlyfrom the bottom 1'6'in an end wall 27 which extends through the end wall top edge 28 and downwardly into the interiorof the bin 10, as the portions 17 and 24 extend downwardly. Also, the end wall 27 has two end portions extending inwardly on the bin 10 and integral with'the inner and outer walls or faces forming each end portion. Thus, the binhas-its end wall 28sh0wing the endportions 29 and 31 extending. into the front wall 13, and. FIG. 2 also shows the end wall28' having its end flaps or portions 32 and 33' extending into the rear wall I4. For reasons of optimum strength in the bin 10, the portions 32 and 33ex'tend further into the rear wall l4"than do the portions 29 and 31 extend into the front wall 13. This difference in extent of these flaps described will also be more fully appreciated and men tioned later.

Finally, it will be seen that the ends l8and 26 respectively extend into openings 34% and 36 formed inthe one piece of material described. That is, tabs 37, as best seen FIG. 4, are on these ends 18 and 26 to'extend in a locked relationship with the openings 34 and 36 to retain the box in the rectilinear form shown.

Like the tab 37 on'the front wall edge 26, the rear wall edge l8has a tab 38'which projects into the opening 34 to interlock therewith.

With the box made from one piece of cardmaterial as described, it presents the front and rear walls and'the bottom described, and the front wall hasthe spaced-apart portions 22 and 24 which define an opening 39 useful for a purpose mentio'ned later.

A clamp generally designated 41 forms a part of the assembly shown, and the clamp'inoludes aU-shaped legportion generally designated 42-and consisting of the upstanding free. end 43, the bottom portion 44, and the upstanding rear portion 46. Also, the clamp 41 includes the fastening portion which has the threadedmember 47 extending through clamp portion 48 carrying a nut 49. The clamp hasanextension 51 which cooperates with the threaded member 47 for releasably fasteningthe entireasse mbly to the shelf 11.

Also, the clamp has a bite portion 52 which extends over the upper edge 19 of the rear wall 14 of the bin 10. The bite portion 52- has spaced-apart abutment sunfaces 53 and54 which flank the front and end surfaces, respectively, of the bin rear wall 14, as shown in FIG. 2. Of course it will be understood that the box or bin 10 is sufficiently pliable to fit itint'o the assembled relationwith the clamp 41, and'particularly so'with thebite portion 52. Thus the clamp 41 is made of a rigid.

material, such as a lightweight plastic material, and it will be also'seen that the leg 43 extends snugly into the opening39 while the'clamp leg 44 extends in contact with the bottom 16 of the box 10.

With the assembly described, it will therefore be seen that the clamp 41 securely holds the bin rear wall 14, by the clamp bite portion 52 and by the leg 46 extending along the rear wall portion 21, and the clamp 41 also extends below the bin 10, in the clamp portion 44, and the clamp 41 finally extends in firm holding relation with the bin front wall 13 by extending into the opening 39. Therefore, the clamp 41 does not extend across the upper opening of the bin, nor does it in any way interfere with the full use of the box or bin 10. Still further, the clamp 41 is concealed from the front of the bin so that the front wall 13 can have a printing thereon and the clamp 41 will not extend over the printing or otherwise be apparent from the front view of the bin 10. Thus it is significant that the clamp leg 43 extends into the opening 39 which is defined by the front wall 13 and opens thereon at the bottom edge 56 of the front wall 13. That is, the opening 39 is a continuation of the opening 36, as shown in FIG. 3. The clamp leg 43 is in snug contact with the inner surfaces 57 of the front wall portions 22 and 24, and the leg 43 extends over halfway up on the front wall 13 for firm support of the box 10.

It will also be seen in FIG. 2 that the clamp 41 has its fastening means or portion, including the portion 46, oblique with respect to the orientation of the U-shaped leg portion 42. This relationship places the box or bin 10 in a rearwardly inclined or tilted position, as seen in FIG. 2, so that the magazines 12, or the like, will recline in a desired and self-supporting position. The shelf 11 is considered to be horizontally disposed, and the fastening means or portion of the clamp 41 is considered to be vertically oriented, but the U-shaped leg portion 42 is therefore oblique with respect to the vertically oriented fastening portion of the clamp 41, as shown in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. In an assembly of a bin and a support clamp for mounting the assembly on a support, a bin having an upright front wall with a bottom edge and having a rear wall terminating in an upper edge, a clamp attached to said bin and including fastening means for removably mounting said assembly onto said support, the improvement comprising said upright front wall having an opening extending upwardly therein from said bottom edge of said upright front wall, said upright front wall hav ing two spaced-apart portions extending completely across said opening on both the front face and rear face of said upright wall for defining and concealing said opening along said front face and said rear face, said clamp including a leg extending upwardly and into said opening from said bottom edge and being dimensioned to be in snug contact with both said spaced-apart portions and to span the full distance between said spaced-apart portions, the length of said leg being sufficient to extend into said opening at least halfway up on said front wall and being concealed by said front wall, and said clamp including a bite portion snugly engaged with said upper edge of said rear wall for securely holding said rear wall.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said fastening means of said clamp is both obliquely disposed and has different upright orientation relative to said leg for supporting said bin in a tilted position relative to the vertical direction and when said fastening means is vertically oriented.

3. The subject matter of claim 2, wherein said bin includes a bottom extending between said front wall and said rear wall, said leg being U-shaped and extending from said bite portion and into said opening and in supporting contact with said rear wall and said bottom and said front wall throughout the extent of said leg.

4. The subject matter of claim 3, wherein said bin is of cardboard material, and said bite portion includes spaced-apart surfaces facing each other and respectively extending in contact with opposite faces of said upper edge of said rear wall.

5. In an assembly ofa bin and a support clamp for mounting the assembly on a horizontally disposed shelf, a bin having a front wall and rear wall, parallel to each other, and an inter connecting bottom, a clamp attached to said bin and including fastening means for removably mounting said assembly onto said shelf, the improvement comprising said clamp including a shelf-engaging portion extending horizontally along said shelf and including said fastening means, said clamp including a bin-engaging portion having a bite portion engaged with said rear wall and having a U-shaped leg extending in three rectilinearly related lengths with each of said lengths being respectively disposed along each of said front wall and said bottom and said rear wall, the orientation of said bin-engaging portion being upright in its U-shape and tilted relative to the vertical direction and thereby being orientated obliquely to said shelf-engaging portion to support said bin at a tilted orientation relative to said horizontally disposed shelf.

6. The subject matter of claim 5, wherein said length of said U-shaped leg at said front wall extends into said front wall and is concealed by said front wall.

7. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said bin is of a cardboard material, and said bite portion includes two spacedapart surfaces disposed facing each other and flanking the upper edge of said rear wall for holding said upper edge. 

1. In an assembly of a bin and a support clamp for mounting the assembly on a support, a bin having an upright front wall with a bottom edge and having a rear wall terminating in an upper edge, a clamp attached to said bin and including fastening means for removably mounting said assembly onto said support, the improvement comprising said upright front wall having an opening extending upwardly therein from said bottom edge of said upright front wall, said upright front wall having two spaced-apart portions extending completely across said opening on both the front face and rear face of said upright wall for defining and concealing said opening along said front face and said rear face, said clamp including a leg extending upwardly and into said opening from said bottom edge and being dimEnsioned to be in snug contact with both said spaced-apart portions and to span the full distance between said spaced-apart portions, the length of said leg being sufficient to extend into said opening at least halfway up on said front wall and being concealed by said front wall, and said clamp including a bite portion snugly engaged with said upper edge of said rear wall for securely holding said rear wall.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said fastening means of said clamp is both obliquely disposed and has different upright orientation relative to said leg for supporting said bin in a tilted position relative to the vertical direction and when said fastening means is vertically oriented.
 3. The subject matter of claim 2, wherein said bin includes a bottom extending between said front wall and said rear wall, said leg being U-shaped and extending from said bite portion and into said opening and in supporting contact with said rear wall and said bottom and said front wall throughout the extent of said leg.
 4. The subject matter of claim 3, wherein said bin is of cardboard material, and said bite portion includes spaced-apart surfaces facing each other and respectively extending in contact with opposite faces of said upper edge of said rear wall.
 5. In an assembly of a bin and a support clamp for mounting the assembly on a horizontally disposed shelf, a bin having a front wall and rear wall, parallel to each other, and an interconnecting bottom, a clamp attached to said bin and including fastening means for removably mounting said assembly onto said shelf, the improvement comprising said clamp including a shelf-engaging portion extending horizontally along said shelf and including said fastening means, said clamp including a bin-engaging portion having a bite portion engaged with said rear wall and having a U-shaped leg extending in three rectilinearly related lengths with each of said lengths being respectively disposed along each of said front wall and said bottom and said rear wall, the orientation of said bin-engaging portion being upright in its U-shape and tilted relative to the vertical direction and thereby being orientated obliquely to said shelf-engaging portion to support said bin at a tilted orientation relative to said horizontally disposed shelf.
 6. The subject matter of claim 5, wherein said length of said U-shaped leg at said front wall extends into said front wall and is concealed by said front wall.
 7. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said bin is of a cardboard material, and said bite portion includes two spaced-apart surfaces disposed facing each other and flanking the upper edge of said rear wall for holding said upper edge. 